Onycholysis is a common form of disease where the toenails or fingernails get separated from the nail bed. The separation takes some amount of time and the process is painless and most often the dermatologists are of the opinion that physical trauma is the cause of onycholysis. The separation happens from the distal free margin and the nail generally loses support from the nail bed.
Mostly the separation begins from the proximal nail plate moving towards the free edge causing psoriasis of nails. There is a yeast infection and one can notice the change of color of the nails.
Treatment of the disease is very important as the nail bed may get scarred in the process. Several cases have been reported where females are seen to be more susceptible to onycholysis. It is no race-specific disease so all of us should be careful about taking care of the nails.
Causes of Onycholysis
There are many causes of onycholysis. Several factors are responsible for the disease like exogenous factors, idiopathic factors, endogenous factors and hereditary factors. Contact with irritants or storage of moisture inside the nails can lead to onycholysis.
If the skin of the nail is badly affected by lichen planus or psoriasis nails can be badly damaged. Fungal infections or excessive use of water can cause this disease. Sometimes if the medicine prescribed for the patients is unsuitable then onycholysis can happen as a result of side disease.
Thyroid dysfunction or use of harmful chemicals which are generally found in nail polish removers can also lead to onycholysis. Some of the factors which lad t in many of the cases it is seen that either bakers or confectioners who constantly use water and yeast are prone to this disease.
Some of the biologic factors which might harm your nails are yeast and bacteria formations. Probable causes of onycholysis are pellagra, hypothyroidism, ischemia, leprosy, neuritis, neoplastic disorders, yellow nail syndrome, constant exposure of nails to maceration and toxins. Other factors which may lead to onycholysis are minocycline, psoralens, tetracycline and other datives, chlortetracycline and oral contraceptives.
Symptoms of Onycholysis
The nails affected with onycholysis are not different from the normal nails. It is a little difficult to detect whether there is a problem as the nails are firm, have no inflammation and are smooth.
The nails can be a little discolored and treatment should be started as soon as onycholysis is detected as this may lead to serious damages in the nail bed. If the nail is discolored like it turns to yellow or green and the nails are seen to be badly damaged the patients should consult a dermatologist.
Treatment of Onycholysis
The treatment of this disease can vary according to the symptoms. To know whether the patient is affected or not, mycologic studies are conducted on the affected portion. Even then if the disease is not detected a nail biopsy is a must. If a doctor is consulted he would advise you to eliminate the predisposing.
The affected nails should be taken care of and less exposure to any kind of harm will lead to betterment. As in most of the cases the nails are damaged due to a fungal infection, the patients are first treated for the infection underneath the nails which automatically leads to the betterment of the affected nails. The other way to cure this disease is to give an intralesional injection to the affected portion of the nail.
Advice
The nail bed which is the worst affected part should be dry and the nails should be kept away from any thing that causes irritation like various types of chemicals or moisture. Exposure to moisture might be harmful as this may aggravate the disease. Nails are to be clipped properly especially the affected part as short nails are less prone to any harm. If a person is involved in wet work he or she should wear cotton gloves to avoid exposure of the nails
